Threshing-machine.



No. 6s|,o39. l Patented Nov; s, |900.'

e. F. connes.

THRESHING HACH'INE (Application filed July 28, 1900.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

@Lv-mom 617601@ @Z7 @f2/2er `No.66l039. I Pat tdN' 1 G- F. CUNNER. len e ov. |900.

THBESHING IACI'IINE.

(Appxkntion med .my 2a, 1900. (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

' ma onlus versus cav. mu'mumo.. wnsnmm'ou, 1:4 c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE F. OONNER, OF PORT HURON, MICHIGAN.

THRESHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 661,089, dated November 6, 1900.

Application tiled July 26, 1900. `Serial No. 241898. (No model-J and I do declar'e the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to threshingmachines, and more particularly to means for regulating, controlling, or stopping the feed of the bundles to the threshing-cylinder.

In order to appreciate the present invenvtion and to understand its operation and to draw a line of demarcation between it and the state of the art relating to this class of inventions, it may be well at the beginning to state briefly the means now generally employed for automatically regulating the feed of grain to the threshing-cylinder.

The greater number of machines for automatically controlling the quantity of straw fed to the thresher are provided with means actuated by the column of straw, or rather the size or bulk of the bundle. The objection to machines of this class has been made that the feeder itself has not been competent to properly regulate the amount of straw in the machine at the rear of the threshing-cylinder, as the straw at this point may vary greatly from that being fed to the cylinder. If hard compact straight bundles are being fed and the feeder has been adjusted properly to supply the separator with that style of bundles and a large loose bundle or mass of straw is thrown suddenly into the feeder, the automatic means have been unable to recognize or distinguish the dilference between the hard compact bundles or mass and the loose bundles or mass. the regulator, being actuated by the bulk instead of the quantity., immediately cuts off the feed incommensurate with the capacity `of the threshing-machine, or if set to feed a proper amount of loose grain it will feed too much of hard or compact grain.

The objects of the present invention are to provide means for regulating, controlling, or

of a threshing-machine or separator.

cave.

Consequently7 `stopping automatically the feed of the material to the cylinder by the threshed material at the rear of the cylinder; furthermore, to provide means whereby the controlling or regulating means may be adjusted to vary the feed of the material tothe machine, and, finally, to provide means for these purposes which shall be simple of construction, durable in use, and comparatively inexpensive of production. Y

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain features of construct-ion and combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, in which I have illustrated the application of my in vention, Figure l is a side elevation of a bandcutter and feeder and the front end of a threshing-machine, the bundle-conveyer, the band-cutter, the cylinder, its concave, the straw carrier or shaker, irs coacting beater, and the regulating device being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a top plan View, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view, of the variable-friction gearing.

In the drawings, 1 denotes the front end 2 denotes the threshing-cylinder, and its con- 4 denotes the straw carrier or shaker, arranged below and at the rear of the concave, and 5 denotes the beater, located above the carrier or shaker 4. These parts may be of any well-known or approved construction and in themselves form no part of the present invention.

6 denotes the self-feeder, connected to the front end of the threshing-machine and comprising in its construction an endless bundle-conveyer 7. The feeder may be of any well-known or approved construction.

8 denotes a band-cutter mounted above the V4endless conveyer 7 and designed to sever the bands as the bundles are fed to the machine by said conveyor. This band-cutter may be of any well-known or approved construction. In the presentinstance I have shown itas consistingof side pieces 9, the rear ends of4 which are loosely journaled upon a shaft 10,`while the lower ends are provided with sprocketwheels 1l to receive the endless chains 12,

lOO

tingdevices 13.

Io masses of grain of different thicknesses,

The shaft. i0 has fixed to it a band-wheel l5, which -is connected to a similar wheel 16 by a drive-belt 17. 'lhe wheel 1G is fixed to the shaft of the tlneshingcylinder, which is driven from any suitable source of power.

1S denotes an arm the upper end of which is journaled to the shaft and the lower end of which is provided with a stud-bearing 19. upon which is journaled a sprocketzo wheel 20, which is fixed to a friction gear or 3o has its outer end supported by a bearing bracket 25.

2U and 27 denote two friction-disks constituting the other elements or members of the variable-friction gearing. Oneof these disks--the disk 27-is fixed to' the shaft 24 to rotate therewith and without longitudinal movement thereon and is provided with a gear-wheel 23. The other disk, 26, is splined upon said shaft to rotate therewith and to 4o move longitudinally thereof, and under the action of a spring 29 this disk 26 and its companion disk 27 are held in frictional engagement with the friction-disk 21, so that the movement of said latter disk is transmitted to the disks 26 and 27 to rotate the shaft 24.

30 denotes a gear-wheel fixed to a shaft 31, arranged at the rear end of the feeder, and this. shaft 31 is provided with the usual sprocket -wheels, which drive the endless 5o chain of the conveyer 7 in the usual manner.

6o inder.

--Interposed between the gears 28 and 30 and in mesh therewith is an idle gear 32, journaled upon a stud-shaft 33, projecting lat-` erally from the side piece of the feeder.

34 denotes a regulating device which may consist of a board mounted at so'lne point within the threshingmachine at the rear of the threshing-cylinder and within the path of movement of the straw after it leaves the cyl- As shown in the drawings, it is arranged immediately at the rear of the beater and above the shaker or conveyer 4: and has its upper end hinged to the machine, so that it may have a swinging movement.

35 denotes a lever pivoted at a point between its ends to a stud 36, projecting laterally from one of the side pieces of the feeder.

37 denotes a link connecting one arm of the lever to the swinging' arm 18, and 3S denotes a similar link connecting the regulating device to the upper arm of the lever. The link 3S has an adj ustable connection with the upper arm of the lever, and in the present l instance this connection is effected by a bolt and slot. Any other suitable means may be employed. This adjustmentfurnishesmeans for setting the machine to feed bundles at a predetermined speed.

In operation the bundles are fed upon the bundle-conveyer 7, which moves them rearwardly under the band-cutter where the band is cut. From this point the mass of grain is carried direct to the cylinder. After having been threshed the straw is fed upon the shaker or conveyer 4- and is beaten down by the beater 5 and is then led rearwardly and continues its movement, passing under the regulating device, which has been previously adjusted by the link connection 38 with thel upper end of the lever 35. Should the bnndles be fed to the feeder regularly and in uniform quantities, the straw after passing from the threshilig-cylinder will be conveyed under the regulating device to the rear end of the machine inthe usual manner. lf", however, the bundles are fed too fast into the machine, the straw after passing from the cylinder will bank to such a height as to strike the regulating device, thus swinging ifs lower end rearward and causing the friction-disk 21 through its intermediate mechanism to swing upwardly between the disks 26 and 27 and engage them at points nearer their peripheries, thus reducing the speed of the shaft 24, to which the disks 2G and 27 are keyed, and correspondingly reducing the movement of the endless bundle-con veyer 7, which will continue to move at a reduced rate of speed until the regulating device shall have assumed its normal position. Iifz' the feed is excessive or too great, the bundle-carrier will be entirely stopped. In assuming its normal position the regulating device movesinwardly, thus locking the lever 35 and lowering the friction-disk 21 nearer the axis of the friction-disks 26 and 27, and thus increasing the speed of the bundle-conveyer 7 to the degree to which it has been set by the adjustment of the link 38 with the lever 35. When a tightly-compressed bundle is fed to the machine and is threshed and its resultant straw is of a quantity too great to be taken proper care of by the machine after it leaves the threshing-cylinder, the regulating device will be actuated and the speed of the bundle-conveyer will be reduced or may be entirely stopped, while, on the other hand, if a loosely-tied bundle is fed past the threshing-cylinder and the resultant straw does not meet the working capacity of the machine the regulating device will lower and increase the speed of the movement of the bundle-conveyer. ln machines of the character in which the movement of the feeder is regulated or IOO controlled by devices actuated by the bundle before it has been severed `and the grain threshed and the regulating devices set to receive a hard and compact bundle should a large loose bundle or mass be thrown into the feeder the regulating means would fail to distinguish the difference between the hard compact bundles and the large loose bundles, and consequently the regulating mechanism, being actuated by the bulk instead of the quantity, would immediately cutoff the feed incommensurate' with the capacity of the threshing-machine, or if set to feed a proper amount of loose grain the regulating means would feed anV over amount of hard or compact grain, and thus chock the threshing-machine.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection With the accompanying drawings, the construction, operation, and advantages of my invention will be readily understood without requiring an extended explanation. It will be readily seen that the device is eX- ceedingly useful for the purpose for which it is designed and may be placed upon the market at a comparatively small cost.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to Without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention. For instance, in lieu of the variable-friction gearing I may employ any form of positively and uniformly driven gearing, Which, being controlled by the regulating device, Will be stopped when an excessive amount of straw passes. the threshing-cylinder and actuates the regulating device and be automatically started when the machine has been restored to its normal working condition.

Having thus fully described 'my invention,

what is claimed, and desired to be secured b Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination with a threshing-machine and a self-feeder, of .a regulator actuated by the straw at the rear of the threshing-cylinder to control the amount of grain.

being fed to the thresl1ing-cylinder, substantially as set forth.

,2. The combination with a threshing-machine and a feeder therefor, of a movable regulating device arranged Within the path of movement of the threshed straw, a constan tly-movin g variable-speed gearing geared with the feeder for actuating the same, and a connection between the regulating device and gearing for transmitting the motion of the gear-Wheels with which the constantly-driven gear-wheel is connected to t-he feeder, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto yset my hand in presence of the subscribing Witnesses.

GEORGE F. CONNER.

Witnesses:

EARL C. AKERS, H. B. HoYT, H. C. TRENT. 

